Michael Kosnitzky

Spear’s Review

Michael Kosnitzky is co-head of the private client and family office practice at US-based Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. Here he focuses on US and international tax as well as matters around asset protection, trusts, alternative assets and immigration.

Kosnitzky’s team looks after 40 families, eight of whom are worth more than $1 billion. ‘We want to have an ongoing relationship with families,’ he tells Spear’s. ‘They can call us for a variety of things, like investment due diligence, family issues, prenuptials – whatever it might be.’

Some clients are multigenerational families with pre-existing structures, while others are successful high-growth entrepreneurs looking to set up a family office or tax structures.

One thing that separates Pillsbury from its competitors is its due diligence. ‘We review every tax return of every family office before it goes out. Even if there is an outside CPA,’ he notes.